Methods and apparatus to generate audience measurement data from population sample data having incomplete demographic classifications

1. An audience measurement apparatus to increase an accuracy of online audience measurement, comprising:

a first impressions collector to collect messages indicating first impressions of a video accessed by devices via the Internet;

a second impressions collector to receive first demographic information indicative of first numbers of impressions attributed to respective demographic groups by a database proprietor, the first numbers of impressions representing time segments of the video presented at the device;

a demographic distributor to:

determine a proportion of the first impressions attributed to a first one of a plurality of demographic groups by the database proprietor for a first one of the time segments,

determine a first subset of the first impressions not attributed to any of the demographic groups by the database proprietor for the first one of the time segments,

determine a second subset of the first impressions of the first one of the time segments by applying the proportion to the first subset, and

determine redistributed impressions for the first one of the time segments by combining the second subset of the first impressions with the impressions of the first one of the time segments that are attributed to the first one of the demographic groups by the database proprietor; and

an exposure distribution data generator to determine percentages of exposures of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the exposure distribution data generator to determine the percentages based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor and the redistributed impressions.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including:

a duration distribution data generator to determine respective second percentages of duration units of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the duration distribution data generator to determine the respective second percentages based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor for duration units of other time segments of the video; and

a duration imputer to:

detect that a first number of duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video occurred based on the messages;

detect that no duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video were detected by the database proprietor;

attribute respective portions of the first number of duration units to the demographic groups based on the respective second percentages to determine imputed numbers of duration units; and

generate adjusted numbers of duration units based on the first numbers of duration units and the imputed numbers of duration units.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including:

an exposure data generator to determine second numbers of impressions of the video that are attributable to the respective demographic groups by summing subsets of the first numbers of impressions that correspond to the respective demographic groups; and

an audience adjuster to determine numbers of audience members attributable to the respective demographic groups based on impression frequencies corresponding to the demographic groups and the video.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the messages include a first message identifying a non-duration type of impression of the video at a first one of the devices and a second message identifying one of the time segments of the video presented at the first one of the devices.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including:

a segment calibrator to determine a duration of a first one of the time segments presented at a first one of the devices based on first information transmitted in a first one of the messages;

an impressions adjuster to determine second numbers of impressions of the first time segment presented at the devices based on a number of the messages containing the first information; and

an impression duration data generator to determine a total duration of the first time segment presented at the devices based on the duration of the first time segment and the second numbers of impressions, the second numbers of impressions and the total duration of the first time segment corresponding to a first one of the demographic groups.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the messages contain an identifier relating the first impressions to respective time segments of the video, a distributor of the video, a program distributed by the distributor and of which the video is a part, and an episode that belongs to the program and of which the video is a part.

7. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instruction which, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:

collect messages indicating first impressions of a video accessed by devices via the Internet;

access first demographic information indicative of first numbers of impressions of the video attributed to respective demographic groups by a database proprietor, the first numbers of impressions representing time segments of the video presented at the device;

determine a proportion of the first impressions attributed to a first one of a plurality of demographic groups by the database proprietor for a first one of the time segments;

determine a first subset of the first impressions not attributed to any of the demographic groups by the database proprietor for the first one of the time segments;

determine a second subset of the first impressions of the first one of the time segments by applying the proportion to the first subset;

determine redistributed impressions for the first one of the time segments; by combining the second subset of the first impressions with the impressions of the first one of the time segments that are attributed to the first one of the demographic groups by the database proprietor; and

determine percentages of exposures of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor and the redistributed impressions.

8. The storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the at least one processor to:

detect that a first number of duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video occurred based on the messages;

detect that no duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video were detected by the database proprietor;

determine respective second percentages of duration units of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the determining of the respective second percentages being based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor for duration units of other time segments of the video;

attribute respective portions of the first number of duration units to the demographic groups based on the respective second percentages to determine imputed numbers of duration units; and

generate adjusted numbers of duration units based on the first numbers of duration units and the imputed numbers of duration units.

9. The storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the at least one processor to:

determine second numbers of impressions of the video that are attributable to the respective demographic groups by summing subsets of the first numbers of impressions that correspond to the respective demographic groups;

determine numbers of audience members attributable to the respective demographic groups based on impression frequencies corresponding to the demographic groups and a media item; and

determine second ratings information for the video based on the second numbers of impressions and the numbers of audience members.

10. The storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the messages include a first message identifying a non-duration type of impression of the video at a first one of the devices and a second message identifying one of the time segments of the video presented at the first one of the devices.

11. The storage medium as defined in claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the at least one processor to:

determine a duration of a first one of the time segments presented at a first one of the devices based on first information transmitted in a first one of the messages;

determine second numbers of impressions of the first time segment presented at the devices based on a number of the messages containing the first information; and

determine a total duration of the first time segment presented at the devices based on the duration of the first time segment and the second numbers of impressions, the second numbers of impressions and the total duration of the first time segment corresponding to a first one of the demographic groups.

12. A method to increase an accuracy of online audience measurement, the method comprising:

collecting, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, messages indicating first impressions of a video accessed by devices via the Internet;

receiving, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, first demographic information indicative of first numbers of impressions attributed to respective demographic groups by a database proprietor, the first numbers of impressions representing the time segments of the video presented at the device;

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a proportion of the first impressions attributed to a first one of a plurality of demographic groups by the database proprietor for a first one of the time segments;

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first subset of the first impressions not attributed to any of the demographic groups by the database proprietor for the first one of the time segments;

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second subset of the first impressions of the first one of the time segments by applying the proportion to the first subset;

determining redistributed impressions for the first one of the time segments by combining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the second subset of the first impressions with the impressions of the first one of the time segments that are attributed to the first one of the demographic groups by the database proprietor; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, percentages of exposures of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the determining of the percentages based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor and the redistributed impressions.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , further including:

detecting that a first number of duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video occurred based on the messages;

detecting that no duration units for the first one of the time segments of the video were detected by the database proprietor;

determining respective second percentages of duration units of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the determining of the respective second percentages being based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor for duration units of other time segments of the video;

attributing respective portions of the first number of duration units to the demographic groups based on the second percentages to determine imputed numbers of duration units; and

generating adjusted numbers of duration units based on the first numbers of duration units and the imputed numbers of duration units.

14. The method as defined in claim 12 , further including:

determining second numbers of impressions of the video that are attributable to the respective demographic groups by summing subsets of the first numbers of impressions that correspond to respective ones of the demographic groups;

determining numbers of audience members attributable to the respective demographic groups based on impression frequencies corresponding to the demographic groups and the video; and

determining second ratings information for the video based on the second numbers of impressions and the numbers of audience members.

15. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein the messages include a first message identifying a non-duration type of impression of the video at a first one of the devices and a second message identifying one of the time segments of the video presented at the first one of the devices.

16. The method as defined in claim 12 , further including:

determining a duration of a first one of the time segments presented at a first one of the devices based on first information transmitted in a first one of the messages;

determining second numbers of impressions of the first time segment presented at the devices based on a number of the messages containing the first information; and

determining a total duration of the first time segment presented at the devices based on the duration of the first time segment and the second numbers of impressions, the second numbers of impressions and the total duration of the first time segment corresponding to a first one of the demographic groups.

17. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein the messages contain an identifier relating the first impressions to respective time segments of the video, a distributor of the video, a program distributed by the distributor and of which the video is a part, and an episode that belongs to the program and of which the video is a part.

18. An audience measurement apparatus to increase an accuracy of online audience measurement, the apparatus comprising:

means for collecting messages indicating first impressions of a video accessed by devices via the Internet;

means for accessing first demographic information indicative of first numbers of impressions attributed to respective demographic groups by a database proprietor, the first numbers of impressions representing time segments of the video presented at the device;

means for distributing demographic information to:

determine a proportion of the first impressions attributed to a first one of a plurality of demographic groups by the database proprietor for a first one of the time segments,

identify a first subset of the first impressions not attributed to any of the demographic groups by the database proprietor for the first one of the time segments,

determine a second subset of the first impressions of the first one of the time segments by applying the proportion to the first subset, and

determine redistributed impressions for the first one of the time segments by combining the second subset of the first impressions with the impressions of the first one of the time segments that are attributed to the first one of the demographic groups by the database proprietor; and

means for determining percentages of exposures of the video that are attributable to corresponding ones of the demographic groups, the means for determining the percentages to determine the respective percentages based on the first demographic information provided by the database proprietor and the redistributed impressions.